Fear in the forest as mink go on a killing spree

The tawny owl never stood a chance, and nor did its cage-mate the kestrel. It was a bad night for the New Forest Owl Sanctuary.

The animal responsible for killing the two birds was not hard to spot: it was furry, had big teeth, and appeared rather confused. Which, in the circumstances, was hardly surprising.

Some 24 hours after they were liberated from a nearby farm, about 6,000 mink were causing mayhem in Hampshire yesterday.

The mink, freed by members of the Animal Liberation Front, had been living at Terence Smith's farm at Crow Hill, near Ringwood, on the edge of the New Forest. About 500 of the animals had been rounded up and returned to the Crow Hill Farm by last night, and several hundred more are believed to have been shot by gamekeepers or run over, but thousands are still on the loose.

Mink have been sighted in outbuildings, cars, hedgerows, and even in people's bedrooms. And wildlife within a 10-mile radius of the farm, meanwhile, has found itself cast in the role of lunch. Despite barricading the aviaries, handlers at the New Forest Owl Sanctuary were powerless to save the owl and kestrel.

Perry Bright, a handler at the sanctuary, said: "We found the kestrel dead, then we found one of the mink on top of an owl shaking it. The manager got a gun and shot the mink."

Mr Smith, the mink farm owner, yesterday stood looking at his 15 sheds. "My worry is that they will wade into the water and attack mallards, moorhens, coots, pheasants and partridges," he said.

Claiming responsibility for the raid, the ALF's spokesman, Robin Webb, admitted: "Regrettably, some mink will die, but liberating them gives them some form of freedom after their concentration camp conditions."